About a week ago, I wrote the following about an experience I had with being healed through prayer and what I learned during it. I hope that it encourages someone today.
Yesterday I woke up from a nap with a terrible toothache. I may have been clenching my teeth as I slept. The pain was excruciating. My first instinct was to pray. For a long time, that wouldn’t even have occurred to me to do, but now I take things to God.
I didn’t always believe that God had my best interests at heart or that he cared about what was affecting me or what I had to say. Even after coming back to the Lord, it took me a while to know that God wants us to bring everything to him, from the small day to day things, to the big hard to face things. He wants us to lay it all at his feet.
When I felt the pain in my tooth and gums, radiating to my jaw and the whole entire side of my head, I immediately closed my eyes and called out to my Father. I asked him to make the pain go away, to heal whatever was causing the pain.
I didn’t just ask God for healing once as a passing prayer and then wait for the pain to go away as I went about my day. When the pain was still there after I asked for healing, I continued. I persisted because God calls us to be persistent in prayer just as the widow persisted in seeking justice from a judge, not relenting, persevering until he granted her request.
I called on his character because I know he loves me and wants what is best for me. He doesn’t want me to suffer, just like a father doesn’t want his child to suffer. That he is a God of his word, that he keeps his promises.
I prayed scripture (paraphrasing, partial verses) about how he healed others and how he says we can move mountains if we have just a mustard seed worth of faith.
I didn’t just keep repeating the same thing, but I did keep praying. I just felt His presence, this overwhelming encouragement to keep going.
Before yesterday, I knew God healed. I believed it with my whole entire heart, but I have never experienced immediate healing and answered prayers in the moment. But I did experience that yesterday.
The moment I finished my prayer, before my eyes were even opened, the pain was completely gone. I had ended my prayer praising him ahead of time for healing, and it blended seamlessly with my prayer praising and thanking him for the healing he had provided.
I serve a mighty God.
There’s so much I took from this experience, and the physical healing was the least important thing, although I am so grateful the pain was removed. I was reminded of God’s love, strength, character, how he works for our good. And I was renewed in my belief in the power of prayer and His Holy Word.